1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to blankets and more specifically to weighted beach blankets and similar devices having convenient carrying means.
2. Background of the Prior Art
Blankets, drop clothes and other ground coverings are commonly used to separate a person sitting on the ground from the ground itself. Typically, blankets are used at beaches and parks. Once positioned, on the ground, these coverings are readily subject to disarray from the effects of wind and human usage. This results in reduced usage area of the covering as well as discomfort to the user.
In order to overcome such disordering of a blanket, people will attempt to anchor the corners of the blanket with shoes, bags, and similar objects. Such make-shift anchoring, is inefficient and is not available at all if the user desires to keep his shoes on or otherwise has no anchoring devices.
As a result, many devices have been proposed in order to anchor a blanket onto a surface. Exemplary of such devices is U.S. Pat. No. 4,709,430 issued to Nicoll. The Nicoll device consists of a blanket having a hollow tubular member extending along the blanket's periphery. A liquid, such as water, is disposed within the tubular member and acts as a weight means. This device is difficult and messy to use and is relatively expensive to make.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for effectively weighting and anchoring a ground covering. Such a device should be simple and straightforward to use and should not be messy to use. The device should be simple and inexpensive to manufacture. Ideally, the device will prove convenient to transport.